Archive By Section - Local News

Five Rotary clubs and three Lions clubs met in Calexico on Thursday, Feb. 17 and off loaded 3000 pounds of clothing that made it to four orphanages and two mental hospitals for adults in Mexicali. Medical equipment of approximately $5,000 found its way to the Mexicali General Hospital that did not get the "wrecking ball" as was expected, due to last year's massive earthquake.

In protracted budget reductions that go on for years, such as the nation has experienced, there comes a time when there's simply no more fat to trim, no more tricks to pull, and the reductions are found in flesh and blood.

In a proposed cost-saving measure and an attempt to "go green," saving the city the massive amounts of paper per member that is generated for meetings, the five-member Oakdale City Council discussed a proposed switch from printed agendas to the Apple iPad as a substitute for the agenda binders.

Times are certainly tough - no surprise there - and communities are being forced to get creative with how they solve problems. One such entity, the Oakdale Citizen's Cemetery, is making an urgent plea to the community for help in the upkeep of the cemetery grounds by proposing the Adopt-A-Plot program. Intrigued? You should be. For some community members, their loved ones are resting peacefully within the 13-acre endowment cemetery but the situation regarding the grounds upkeep is downright dire.

An item with potential adverse effects for Oakdale residents, the Tuolumne County Board of Supervisors plans to hold a hearing regarding the recommendation to establish a rock quarry located in southwest Tuolumne County, adjacent to Stanislaus County, off Cooperstown Road.

The Oakdale Irrigation District is expecting its full allocation of water this year and also expects to have water available that has previously been transferred (sold) to Stockton East Water District (SEWD).

Oakdale and Riverbank motorists are going to have to dig into their pocketbooks a bit deeper for a gallon of gasoline this season as prices are over 50 cents per gallon higher than they were last year at this time. For the first time in three years, the cost of a gallon of gas could reach the intimidating $4 mark, which is certain to modify most drivers' habits after filling up at the pumps.

Eight to 10 minutes - that's how quickly the Amgen Tour of California riders will whoosh through the heart of Oakdale for a sprint line finish stationed at Con Agra on Yosemite Avenue before zooming off toward downtown Modesto to an awaiting crowd for the finish of the third stage.

U.S. Representative Jeff Denham (R-Turlock) introduced a bill on Wednesday, Jan. 14 to lessen the burden on disabled veterans by extending military commissary and exchange store privileges to former service members and their families.

The Bacigalupi family is well known throughout the Oakdale area. Not only for the infamous H-B Saloon on F Street, but also for their philanthropy including sponsoring the Cowboy Golf Tournament, the annual AFC-NFC Championship Tailgate Party to benefit local causes, donations to Spirit of Oakdale, Community Sharing, the Lions Club Children's Christmas Shopping Tour and several contributions to Oakdale High School sports.

Life is not being wasted on Bill and Joanne Parker. At the ages of 85 (Bill) and 84 (Joanne), this couple did not wait for New Year's Day to make a resolution or begin a new health plan. On Jan. 2, 2015 the couple could be found in the same place they were on Dec. 31, 2014 … putting in some time at Fitness Plus in Oakdale.

Like many families do, the 'family' of kids, parents and teachers at The Learning Tree Preschool in Oakdale recently completed their holiday 'Gingerbread House' craft making activity, with the children able to take home their sweet treats to display (or eat) over the holidays. Following are some photos from the special craft day.

Law enforcement fatalities in the U.S. rose 24 percent in 2014, reversing what had been two years of dramatic declines in line of duty deaths, based on preliminary data compiled and released by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF).